Method of and apparatus for nailing crates



Feb. 27, 1934. v 1 H. PAXTON I 1,949,108

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR NAILING CRATES Filed July 51, 1951 s Sheets-Sheet 1 fig 1 188 245 M i as 12 7 670 1a4 -za Feb. 27, 1934. PAXTON 1,949,108

' METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR NAILING CRATES Filed July 31, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Feb. 27, 1934 PATENT orrice 1.94am I Mormon 9F one APPARATUS FOR NAHJNG e KJBA'IES nan rams, Badlands, cent, assignmto Paxton Credit Corporation, Sanger, 611111., a cormmtion of tallies-mic Application July 31, rear. serial No. 554,210

19 Glsime.

My hivention relates to the mailing art and more particularly to methmis endmachines for manufacturing crete hoods, homes, crates, shipping cases and the like. While my mvention is applicable in the manufacture oi merry dlfierent kinds of shipping cases, it is particularly useful in the manufacture oi that type of crete in which the crate ends are built up oi corner posts and cross panels and in which the side and bottom slots of the crate are mailed to the crate heads thus assembled.

These crates are used extensively in the. shinping of lettuce and centrrloups. Iit been iound necessary, in order for these crates to have the required strength, that the nails he pieced very ing distances iromthe ends of the slots and that slots of difierent widths he used so thnt successive nails are spaced varying dist-emcee from each other. Many types oi shinning cases such as orange and lemon boxes are toy automatic machinery and it would be exceedhigly edven= tsgeous to provide such niechiner for production of ccnteloup end lettuce crates on account oi the short shipping seasons the volume in which it is necessary to produce the critters. However, the irregularity in s oeing. the neils on these crstes hes defected ell et-= tempts to mmufecture them by automatic mechinery.

It is accordingly on object oi my invention to provide a method oi endmechirie for huilding crate heads, cretes, shipping cases and the like which will permit these to be constructed eutomatically or semi-autometicelly.

In certain types or nailing mechines, the work posses underneath the nailing chucks with on intermittent movement, the chucks descending and driving neils into the work during one neuse in this movement. In this manner the mile ere driven in a given path.

It is another object of my invention to provide a method of and machine for building crate heads, crates, shipping cases and the like, in which nails con be driven along as given path with prearranged positioning or said nails out of alignment with each other across said path.

It is a. further object or my invention to provide such a method and machine as last mentioned hereinabove as will permit the nailing of the work with successive nails spaced at predetermined irregular intervals from each other.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide. in accomplishing any of the foregoing objects. on automatic nailing machine in which control means is provided for determining the (or. non

positioning oi the nails in the work, this control means being capable of adiustment to change the spacing of the nails on the work.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects, as well as further objects and advantages, will be made manifest in the following description, together with the the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elcvetional view or a. preferred embodiment of the epperctus of my invention with the ports thereoi positioned to illustrate the beginning of e. given series or cycles of operation.

Fig. 2 is a. fragmentary enlarged detail view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is c perspective view of e. crete head eclepted to be made in the machine shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a. view similar to 1 illustrating the ports oi the machine inpositiori to illustrate an intermediate step in one of the cycles oi onerotion of the machine.

Fig. 5 is e perspective view of e. crcte adopted to be mode by a machine similar to thet shown Figs. 1 and l.

Fig. s is as control cam suiteble ior use withthe rocchine or my invention in manufacturing the crate shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. l is a. bottom plan view oi one of the novel ncilmg chucks of my invention.

Fig. 8 is e cross sections! view tsiren on the line 8-8 oi Fig. l.

Fig. 9 is e. corresponding view tciren on the line 9-9 of Fig. 4. 1

Fig. 10 is a. view taken on the line iii-l0 of Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail front elevations! view oi e nail picker as used in my invention.

Fig. 12 is a, fragmentary sectioned view taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 11.

Rei'erring specifically to the drewings, the pre- Kit ferred embodiment of the apparatus of my invention comprises a. nailing machine 15 which includes e. frame 16, a. work support 17, and e noiling mechanism 18.

The frame 16 includes a. base (not shown) such as is commonly used on nailing machines and from which side standards 20 and 21 extend upwardly. The standards 20 and 21 are connected icy cross members 22 and 23.

The work support 1? is mounted on cross members 22 as shown in Figs. 1, i, 8 end 9, and includes rails 24 and 25. Pivotally supported in a hearing 28 mounted on the lower face or the rail 24 is a. sheit 29 having a. ratchet pawl 30 fixed upon its inner end and an operating arm 31 on its outer end. Pivotally mounted on the inner face of the standard 20 is an arm 34, the free end of which is connected by a link 35 to the free end of the pawl operating arm 31. Connected to the foremost cross member 22 and the link 35 is a tension'spring' 36 which normally swings the shaft 29 so as to retain the pawl 30 in upward position as it is shown in Figs. 1 and 8.

slidably supported on the rails 24 and 25 is a work carriage 37. This carriage includes side bars 40 and 41 which slide on the rails 24 and 25 and which are connected by cross bars 42 and 43. Mounted longitudinally on each of the slide bars 40 and 41 is one of a pair of anvils 45, each of which is adapted to receive a base member 46 belonging to the work which the machine 15 is designed to handle. In the present embodiment the members 46 are posts with triangular cross section upon which 'the machine 15 is adapted to nail end panels 47 and 48 when these are placed across the carriage 37 with the ends of the panels resting upon the posts 46 to form a crate head 50. Supported with its ends on the cross bars 42 and 43 are rods 52 which are connected by hand rests 53 from each of which a pair of panel stops 54 extend upwardly. Extending downwardly from the inner edge of the carriage side bar 40 is a pair of ears 58 into which cap screws 59 are screwed. Disposed about the screws 59 between the heads thereof are slots 62 of an indexing ratchet bar 63. The lower edge of the bar 63 is provided with notches 65 to 73, inclusive. Connected to the indexing bar 63 and the work carriage cross bar 42 is a contractile spring which continually urges the bar 63 to its forwardmost position relative to the carriage 37 as is allowed by the slots 62. The bar 63 is disposed in alignment with the ratchet pawl 30 so that when the latter is free to be moved upwardly by its spring 36 it engages in one of the notches 65 to 73 inclusive.

Pivotally mounted on suitable brackets provided on the rail 24 and extending downwardly therefrom are pulleys 76 and 77. Secured to the rear cross bar 43 of the carriage 37 is a suitable cable 78 which extends around the pulleys 76 and over the pulley 77 to support a weight 80 for the purpose of urging the carriage 37 to move -forwardly on the rails 24 and 25.

The nailing mechanism 18 includes a stripper 85, a nail picker 86, a nail switching mechanism 87, and nail driving means 88.

The stripper includes a nail pan (not shown) which is mounted on top of the frame 16 and which is mechanically operated in a well known manner to deliver nails to a pair of stripper-ways and 91 which picker 86.'

The nail picker 86 includes a slide shaft 93 which is slidably mounted on the frame 16 and has provided thereon individual picks 95 and 96 disposed to operate opposite the lower ends of the stripper-ways 90 and 91 respectively, in a man ner well known in the art, to pick one nail from slope forwardly to the nail each of the stripper-ways 90 and 91 when the.

receive nails from these picks respectively, are a pair of nail receiving hoppers 101 and 102.

The switch mechanism 87 includes a pair of switch plates and 111 which are pivotally mounted on short posts 112 which extend upwardly from the frame cross bar 23. The switch plate 110 has nail receiving ports 113 and 114 and the plate 111 has nail receiving ports 115 and 116. Connected to the plate 110 to communicate with the ports 113 and 114 are flexible metallic hoses- 117 and 118. Connected to the under surface of the switch plate 111 so as to connect with the ports 115 and 116 are flexible metallic hoses 119 and 120. At the opposite ends of the switch plates 110 and 111 from their nail ports are provided pins 122 and 123. Pivotally connected to the plate 110 adjacent the nail receiving ports therein is a link 125 the opposite end of which has a bifurcated clevis 126 which is pivotally connected to the plate 111 by the pin 123. Provided on the link 125 is a collar 130 which is connected to a pin 131 provided on the switch plate 111 by a contractile spring 132.

Pivotally mounted on a bracket 135 provided on the cross member 23 is a cam follower arm 136 having a roller 137. Pivotally connecting the upper end of the arm 136 with the pin 122 of the switch plate 110 is a link 138. Extending upwardly from the extreme left hand end of the cross member 23 is a standard 142 which is adapted to receive a cap screw 143. Pivotally mounted on the cap screw 143 is a ratchet cam member 145 including a ratchet wheel 146 and a cam wheel 147 formed integrally therewith on a hub 148. The screw 143' extends through a washer 149, a spring washer 150, the hub 148 and a ratchet pawl arm 154, and then screws into the standard 142 so as to compress the spring washer 150 and hold the ratchet cam 145 and the pawl arm 154 frictionally against rotation on the screw.

The ratchet wheel 146 has a number of uniform teeth 155, there being twenty-seven of these teeth provided on the wheel 146 in the illustrated embodiment. The cam wheel 147 is provided with a number of cam surfaces 156, there being one of these surfaces for each of the teeth 155 in the ratchet wheel 146. Each of the cam surfaces 156 is disposed at one or the other of two different radii from the axis of the cam wheel 147 for a purpose which will be made evident hereinafter. In the cam wheel 147 illustrated herein the cam surfaces 156 are formed in nine groups with three surfaces in each group, one of the three being of the larger radius and the other two being of the smaller radius. For convenience the cam surfaces of the larger radius will be identified by the numeral 157 while those of the smaller radius will be identified by the numeral 158.

The ratchet pawl arm 154 has a pawl 160 which is pressed by a spring 161 into contact with the I periphery of the ratchet wheel 146. Pivotally mounted on the extreme end of the arm 154 is a slide block 163 through which a rod 164 is adapted to slide. Provided on the rod 164 are spaced collars 165 and 166 for a purpose to be made evident hereinafter. The lower end 'of the rod 164 is bent inwardly and provided with an eye 167.

The nail driving means 88 includes an overhead driving bar 170 which is mounted on slide bars 171 and 172 slidable in bearing blocks 173 provided inside the channel standards 20 and 21. Moimted-in the lower end of the bar 171 is emma 9. cap screw which is adapted to contact the arm 34 when the slide bar 171 is in its lowermost position.

Provided on the slide bars 171 and 172 are collars 176 which are provided with pins 177' upon which the upper ends of pitmen 178 are pivotally secured by cap screws 180 and 181.

Mounted on the standards 20 and '21 are air cylinders 183 which have tubes 186 and 187 leading from their upper ends and terminating in metallic nozzles 188 which open downwardly into the upper ends of the nail hoppers 101 and 102. Suitable pistons are provided in the cylinders 183 these pistons having connecting rods 189 and 190 which are received over the pins 177 outside of the pitmen 178. The eye 167 of the rod 164 is loosely held beneath the cap screw 180 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

Means (not shown) are provided on the lower ends or the standards 20 and 21 for reciprocating the pitmen 178 between upper positions in which they are shown in Fig. 1 and their lower positions in which they are shown in Fig. 4, this means being so arranged that each reciprocation begins and terminates with the pitmen 178 and associated parts in their upwardmost positions as shown in Fig. 1. Accordingly the normal stationary position of. the pitmen 178 and associated parts is shown in Fig. 1=.

Provided on the driving bar 170 is a roller which engages the arm 98 so as to holdthe slide shaft 93 of the nail picker 86 in leftward position so as to maintain a coil spring 196 under compression on the right hand end of the slide shaft 93.

Provided on the vertical slide bars 171 and 172 are sliding collars 206 on which are supported a nail chuck supporting cross bar 201. Between the sliding collars 200 and the upper bearing blocks 173 are compressed coil springs 204. Pivotally mounted on an arm 206 extending forwardly from the upper bearing blocks 103 are levers 207 having two pins 208 between which extend links 209 having rollers 210 which rest upon upper faces of the levers 207. Opposite ends of the levers 207 are connected by links 212 to small brackets 213 provided on the driving bar 170. The links 209 are pivotally connected to the slide collars 200 as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 10.

Supported on the cross bar 201 are two double chucks 215 and 216, each of these chucks having a tubular body 217 which is provided with leaf springs 218, these springs holding in the usual yieldable assembled relation two pairs of Jaws 222 to form inner and outer nail chucks 223 and 224. Each of these chucks is adaptedto operate individually in substantially the same manner as nail chucks in general use in the nailing art. Provided between the respective jaws 222 of the chucks 223 and 224 are nail receiving chambers 227 and 228. Provided on each of the bodies 217 is a pair of nail funnels 229 and 230 which communicate respectively with the nail receiving chambers 227 and 226 of the inner and outer chucks 223 and 224. The metallic nail switch. tubes 117 and118 extend into the funnels 229 and 230 of the double chuck 215 while the nail switch tubes 119 and 120 extend into the corresponding nail funnels of the double chuck 216.

Adjustably secured on the upper end of the tubular body 217 of each of the double chucks 215 and 216 is a collar 232 having a roller 233 provided thereon.

Slidable vertically in each tubular double chuck body 217 is a nail driver 234. Provided on the lower end of each of the nail drivers 234 is a. pair of hammers 236 which are normally disposed above the nail chambers 227 and 228 as shown in Fig. 1. The upper end of the nail drivers 234 extend through suitable apertures in the driving bar 170 and are provided with squared heads 239. Pivotally mounted on trunnions 240 provided on the driving bar 170 are pairs of locking arms 242, pivotally mounted between upper ends of which are rollers 243, these rollers being normally disposed over the squared driver heads 239. Connected to the locking arms 242 are tension springs 245 which normally pull these arms against stops 246 provided on the driving bar 170.

The operation of the apparatus of my invention in carrying out the method thereof is as.

follows:

As before stated, the machine 15 is designed for the manufacture of crate heads 50, this being accomplished in the following manner.

Each cycle of operationbegins and ends with the parts of the machine positioned as shown in Fig. l, in which position the power mechanism (not shown) is automatically stopped so as to support the pitmen 173 in their upwardmost positions. Posts 46 are first laid upon the anvils 45 and the work supporting carriage 37 is shoved into its rearwardmost position in which it is shown in Fig. 8. As shown in this view, the panels 47 are thicker but narrower than the panels 48, and at first only a single panel 47 is positioned manually by the operator against the foremost pair of stop pins 54.

The nailing cycle of operation is efiected by a single reciprocating movement of pitmen 178 downwardly from the position in which these are shown in Fig. l to the position in which they are shown in Fig. 2, and return. The parts connected with the pitrnen 178 reciprocate, of course, therewith. These parts include the slide bars 171 and 172 and the driving bar 170.

During the downward movement of the driving bar .170 the links 212, as shown in Fig. 10, are lowered, swinging the levers 207 downwardly, this lowering the rollers 210 and the chuck supporting bar 201 so that the double chucks 215 and 216 come to rest on the work as shown in Fig. 4.

At the beginning of each nailing cycle 0! operation, nails may be positioned in either one of the chucks 223 or 224 of the double chucks 215 and 216, and as the driving bar 170 continues downwardly after the chucks have come to rest against the work, the hammers 236 drive these nails downwardly into the work. lower ends of the hammers 236 reach the lower ends of the chucks 215 and 216, as shown in Fig. 4, the locking arms 242 contact the rollers 233 on the chucks and are turned aside to swing the rollers 243 away from over the square driver heads 239 so that the latter are released and permitted to remain stationary during the re,- mainder of the downward movement of the driving bar 170. This releasing of the square driver heads 239 prevents the hammers 236 from driving the nails below the surface of the work.

In the illustrated embodiment of my machine, the chucks 215 and 216 each drives a single nail into the work during each nailing operation. It is desired to shift the work and index this between When the lea successive nailing operations so that the nails 143 The weight 80 through the cable '78 pulls the car- I riage 37 forwardly so as to stretch the spring and move the cap screws 59 into the forward ends of the slots 62 of the ratchet bar 63. When the first pair of nails is driven through the foremost panel 47 into. the posts 46, the chucks 215 and 216 move downwardly into contact with the foremost panel 47 and the springs 204 press these chucks against this panel so as to hold the carriage 37 against movement. Then the screw 175 in the lower end of the slide bar 171 contacts the lever 34 so as to stretch the spring 36 and swing the pawl 30 out of the notch 65.. As soon as the pawl leaves this notch, the spring 75 snaps the bars 73 forwardly a distance equal to the free length of the notches 62, this causing the pawl 30 to move upwardly into the notch 66 when the lever 34 is released from pressure of the screw 175 as the slide bar 171 returns upwardly. Thus as the chucks 215 and 216 are lifted from the work by the upward return of the driving bar 170, the carriage 137 is moved forwardly by the weight to snugly set the pawl 30 in the notch 66 and again stretch the spring 75 to bring the cap screws 59 into their forwardmost positions in the slots 62. Thus is the work indexed in the proper position for the driving of the second pair of nails into the work. This indexing takes place during each nailing operation, and the spacing of the notches on the indexing bar 63 determines the spacing of the nails longitudinally in the work. In Figs. 8 and 9 it is to be noted that the panels 48 are wider than the panels 47. Accordingly, the distances between the notches 67, 68, 69, 70 and '71 are uniformly greater than the distances between other adjacent pairs of notches on the ratchet bar 63. Obviously by substituting for the ratchet bar 63 another ratchet bar with a different spacing of notches, a different spacing of the nails .on the work carried by the carriage 37 could be effected.

As seen in Fig. 2, nails driven into each of the corner posts 46 are not only distributed longitudinally but are spaced laterally different distances from the edges of the crate head 50. In fact, each of the nails driven into each of the corner posts 46 is positioned in one or the other of the pair of lines A and B extending lengthwise over this post. In the movement of the carriage 37 as above described, the chucks 223 traverse the lines A, and the chucks 224 traverse the lines B.

As before mentioned, each of the double chucks 215 and 216 only drives one nail for each nailing operation of the machine 15. The choice as to which of the chucks 223 or 224 in each double chuck drives a nail in any given operation, is determined by the nail switching mechanism 87 which operates as follows:

With each reciprocation of the driving bar 170 to accomplish a nailing operation, the roller 195 passes downwardly alongside the follower 98 so as to release the picker 93 and allow the spring 196 thereof to swing it to the right to accomplish the picking of a pair of nails from the nail runways 90 and 91, these nails being delivered to the hoppers 101 and 102. At the same time these nails are picked, the collar 166 on the rod 164 is brought downward against the slide block 163 so as to impart a one twenty-seventh revolution to the cam 147 and bring a new cam supface 156 opposite the cam follower roller 137. If the surface thus brought opposite the roller 137 is one of the cam surfaces 158 of small radius, as shown in Fig. 1, the nail switches 110 and 111 will be positioned as shown in Fig. 2, with the nail ports 113 and 116 disposed directly beneath the nail hoppers 101 and 102. When one of the cam surfaces 157 is thus brought opposite the cam follower roller 137, this is swung outward- 1y, positioning the switches 110 and 111 with the nail ports 114 and 115 aligned with the hoppers 101 and 102.

Sufficient time is consumed by the nails, after they are picked, in dropping the length of the hoppers 101 and 102 so that the partial rotation of the cam 147 and consequent positioning of the switches 110 and 111 is completed during each current operation before the nails picked during that same operation have reached these switches. The nails thus picked during any given operation and fed into the switches 110 and 111 are of course delivered to the double chucks 215 and 216 to be driven during the next following nailing operation.

As regards the arrangement of the nails driven in a series of nailing operations, their positions in the lines A or B is thus seen to be determined by the contour of the periphery of the cam 157, that is, the arrangement of the cam surfaces 156 thereon. It is seen in Fig. 3 that there are nine nailing operations in making each crate head 50, that is, nine nails are driven into each or the corner posts 46. The manufacture of a complete crate head 50, therefore, is accomplished during each one-third of a revolution of the cam 147, there being twenty-seven cam surfaces 156 on the periphery of this cam.

A specific operation of the switching means 87 is clearly seen by reference to Figs. 1, 3 and 4. Fig. 1 shows nails N, which have been delivered during the nailing operation immediately preceding, to the single chucks 228. When the manufacture of a crate head 50 is commenced with the parts of the machine 15 positioned as shown in Fig. 1, these nails in the first nailing operation are driven through the front corners of the foremost panel 47 into the corner posts 46, these nails being identified by the letter N in Fig. 3. During this nailing operation, cam 147 is rotated, as shown in Fig. 4, to bring the next cam surface 156, which is one of the cam surfaces of longer radius 157, opposite the cam follower roller 137. This shifts the cam follower arm 136 and swings the switches 110 and 111 to deliver nails picked from the picker 86 to the inner single chucks 223. Thus in the second nailing operation nails will be driven into the work from the inner chucks 223. These nails are identified by the letter N in Fig. 3. During the second nailing operation, of course, the cam 147 will be rotated to bring another of the cam surfaces of smaller radius 158 oppos te the cam follower roller 137. This results in nails being again delivered to the outer single chucks 224 so that a third nailing operation will cause another pair of nails N to be driven into the work on the lines B.

The cam surfaces 157 and 158 are arranged on the periphery of the cam 147 so that two surfaces of smaller radius 158 are together, this being necessary to start and end each series of slat with a nail disposed in one of the lines B.

.anvils.

The middle nail of each of these groups is dis posed in one of the lines A.

While I have shown, as a preferred embodiment of my invention, a machine 15, which is adapted to build a particular kind of crate head with a particular arrangement of nails therein, it is evident that by suitable changes in the carriage 37 and the cam 147, and by spacing the chucks 215 and 216 ditierently, many kinds of work can be accomplished by this machine besides making the specific type of crate head 50.

For instance, after the crateheads 50 are made up it is necessary to assemble these into crates 300, as shown in Fig. 5, by nailing slats 301 to a pair of. the crate heads. To accomplish this on the machine 15, it is necessary to make certain changes, as follows: In place oi the work carriage 3'7 any one of several suitable crate support anvils could be provided and the nailing chucks 215 and 216 positioned laterally in line with a pair oi crate heads 50 when these are supported on these Besides this the only other change necessary is the substitution for the ratchet cam 145 of a special ratchet cam 310 having a ratchet wheel 312 and a cam wheel 313, as shown in Fig. 6. The cam wheel 313 is especially designed for delivering nails to the chucks 215 and 216, so that in a machine 15 modified as above suggested, the

crate 300 would be assembled with the nails sein the formation shown in Fig. 5. As seen in Fig. 6, the periphery of the cam 313 may be divided into three portions, X, Y, and Z. The portion X is utilized in controlling the delivery of nails for nailing on the three side slats comprising the first side of the crate 30B. The por= tion Y of the cam 313 controls'the delivery of nails to the bottom of the crate ace in which all the nails are disposed along the outer extreme end edges of these slats. The portion Z oi this cam is adapted for controlling the delivery oi. nails for securing slats on the iemainhiaieide oi the crate see.

What I claim is:

1. A method of nailing crate heads, crates, shipping cases, and the like, which consists in moving the work along a given path with an intermittent movement, providing two means for driving nails into the work along two lines in said path, providing a supply of nails for said machine, feeding nails from said supply one at a time for each successive pause in said movement, and switching each nail so fed to one or the other of said nailing means according to a predetermined schedule.

2. In a machine for naili m crate heads, crates, shipping cases and the combination of: a nail stripper; a nail tor picking nails successively from a smgle runway or said stripper; a plurality oi means spaced along a given line; means for the work. along a given path transverseh relative to said line; and switch means for seiectively feedh'ig each oi the nails delivered by said pick from aid runway to one or the other of said nailing means.

3. In a machine for nailing crate heads, crates, shipping cases and the like, the combination of: a nail stripper; a nail pick for picking nails successively from a single runway of said stripper; a plurality of nailing means spaced along a given line; means for intermittently moving the work along a given path transversely relative to said line; switch means for selectively feeding each of to one or the other of said nailing. means; and

means for actuating said picker in conjunction with said nailing means so that said nailing means are operated simultaneously and a single nail is picked during each nailing operation.

4. In a machine for nailing crate heads, crates, shipping cases and the like, the combination of: a pluralityof nailing means; means for periodically actuating said nailing means; a nailstripper having a runway; a nail picker; and means for switching successive nails delivered by-said picker from said runway to different ones of said nailing means according to a predetermined irregular schedule.

.5. A combination as in claim 4 in which said switching means is actuated by a rotary cam, said cam being replaceable to change said schedule.

6. A combination as in claim 4 in which said switching means is actuated by a rotary cam; a ratchet wheel connected with said cam; and means for rotating said ratchet wheel a predetermined number of teeth during each nailing operation of said machine.

7. In a machine for nailing crate heads, crates and the like, the combination of: means for supporting a pair of base members with a panel or slat disposed thereacross; means for moving said base members longitudinally; a pair of groups of nailing chucks, one of said groups being disposed across the line of movement of each of said base members; means for driving nails from all of said chucks simultaneously; and means for delivering nails to difierent chucks of each of said groups of nailing chucks during successive nailing operation.

8. In.a machine for nailing crate heads, crates, shipping cases and the like, the combination of: means for supporting a pair of base members with a cross member having its ends resting on said base members; a pair of nailing chucks disposed over each end of said cross member, each of said pairs of chucks being disposed out of alignment with the longitudinal axis of the base member disposed therebeneath; means for lowering said chucks into contact with said cross member; means for driving nails simultaneously from all of said chucks; means for moving said members intermittently; means for operating said chuck lowering and nail driving means during pauses in said movement; and means operating in timely relation with said last previously men tioned means to selectively feed nails to one or the other of the chucks in each of said pairs according to a predetermined schedule. I

9. In a machine for nailing crate heads, crates, shipping cases and the like, the combination oi: means for supporting the work and permitting its movement over a given path; means for driving nailsselectively in either of two lines adjacent an edge of said work in each of a series of nailing operations; means for controlling said work supporting means to space said nails pre determined distances in the direction of the movement of said work: and means for automatically controlling said nailing means to determine the formation in which said nails are driven along said two lines during a given series of nailingmeans for controlling said work moving means includes a replaceable member which may be replaced to varythe longitudinal spacing of said nails.

12. In a machine for nailing crate heads, crates, shipping cases and the like, the combination of: means for supporting the work; means for successively driving pairs of nails into said work, the nails 01 each pair being driven at opposite edges of the work on either an inner pair or lines or an outer pair of lines; and means automatically controlling said nailingvmeans to determine the placing of said pairs of nails so that they are simultaneously driven on one or the other or said pairs of lines according to a prearranged pattern.

13. In a machine for nailing crate heads, crates, shipping cases and the like, the combination oi. means for supporting the work; means for successively driving nails into said work at opposite edges thereof on either an inner pair of lines or an outer pair of lines; and means automatically controlling said nailing means to determine the placing of said nails and cause opposite pairs of nails to be located either on the inner or the outer pair of lines in a prearranged pattern.

14. In a machine for nailing crate heads, crates and the like, the combination of means for supporting a pair of base members with a slat disposed thereacross; means for intermittently feeding said base members longitudinally; means for driving in succession a series 01' pairs of nails through ends of said slat and into said base members; and means for automatically controlling said nailing means to place certain of said pairs of nails adjacent the outer edges of said base members and certain other of said pairs of nails near the inner edges of said base members.

15. A combination as in claim 14 in which there are at least three of said pairs of nails, the first and last driven at said pairs being disposed adjacent outer edges of said base members.

16. A combination as in claim 14 in which there are at least three of said pairs of nails, the first and last driven of said pairs being disposed adjacent the same edges 01 said base members.

17. In a machine for nailing crate heads, crates and the like, the combination of: means for supporting a pair of base members; means for posi-. tioning a plurality of slats with their ends overlying said base members; means ior driving in succession a series of pairs of nails through ends 01' mid slats and into said base members; means for spming adjacent pairs of said pairs of nails varying distances according to a predetermined schedule; and means for spacing the individual nails of individual pairs of nails distances apart which vary according to a predetermined schedule.

18. In a nailing machine the combination of: single nail delivery means having a space into which nails are singly dropped; a plurality of nail chucks, each of said chucks having a flexible nail delivery tube; nailing means for driving nails from said chucks; nail switch means to which upper ends of said tubes are attached, said switch means being shiitable relative to said nail delivery means for positioning one or the other of said tubes beneath and in alignment with said space to receive a nail directly from said space into one or the other of said tubes for charging with a nail the chuck having that tube; and means for coordinately operating the aforesaid means.

19. A combination as in claim 18 in which said last mentioned means operates to selectively charge said chucks with nails, thereby effecting a predetermined arrangement of the nails driven into the work by said nailing means.

HALE PAXTON. 

